Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-02
LSpecial Correspondence.l
SAN Francisco March

EaUelltS
t,r things of practical use issued to California
y tbon to any other part of the world with ten
lines the population? Well, it is a notable
feet The Californians are not nearly all en-
,aged in either mining or stock gambling, as
n many are ready to believe The Cali
ornan is first of all a thinker-an observer
Of men and of things.
We had an explosion of sewer gas in
one of our fine streets here recently. 1t
WAS a severe affair-so severe, indeed, that
had it not been for the fact that we have been
entirely outdone in the earthquake line of
late. the agent of the Associated Press would
surely have telegraphed another terrible
earthquake in California to the newspapers
of New York For the truth is we never hear
Of our earthquakes half of the time out here
until after they have been telegraphed to
New York, and then back, by those most in
,pred romancists, the agents of the Associated
Press. But as was going on to say, this ex-
pIosion was really terrific, and made the
cobblestones fly pretty lively up and down
the steep street. and made quite a little talk
about town. And, to admit an ugly
truth, they are becoming a little too
y frequent for comfort, too. Some say
it is because of the filthy condition
OF the streets and sewers. ] do not know
whether this is the cause or not. but l re-
member that something of this kind occurred
near the New York hotel, on Broadway,
when | was living in New York city, and
some of the wooden blocks of the pavement
were transferred from the street to the house
tops i'm very short order. All doctors tell us
that death turks up and down these sewers,
and that there is a power for evil in any
10.
ners." -.
Certainly we know from the explosions that
there is a force and hidden power down there
that must be chained up; else some of our
growing young cities will not live to any
great age. But be all these things as they
may, L must tell you of a wild eyed man who
caught me by the shoulder on Clay street one
morning as l was passing down town.
81 have it," cried the wild eyed man, as he
held me tight and dug his long, bony fingers
into my shoulder. 81 have It'll 1 have itm
Evidently you have something" l said, as
| caught the wild, nervous, glittering eye and
tried to stand him off.
"Ah, you do not believe me. You are like
the rest You mean jimjams, snakes, horn
toads and bugs in my boots! No, sir no,
sir | mean that have chained the roaring
lion. have discovered it! l am the new
Columbus!n
"But, my friend, what have you discov-
cred! And where have you chained your
roaring lion?"
"Here!" and he stamped hard on the pave
ment. "There is a roaring lion running up
and down every dirty sewer in every dirty
city; disease, death, dynamite, is in every
square foot-a power for evil that is only
heard through these explosions. All, you
think me crazy Listen to me- I have been
working on this thing for years. At last /
have it. | am now the master of a secret by
which | can chain the roaring lion in every
sewer. In other words, l am going TO convert
this sewer gas into light, into life, into heat
| am going to light San Francisco with the
gas of her own sewers! | am going TO heat
this city with her own explosives! l am
going to convert an agent of disease and
death into a thing of beauty and Of life! You
shall read your poems by the light of the
sewer gas that is under your feet! You shall
warm your body, cook your breakfast from
the same sourcel"
This, in brief, is the substance of the wild
eyed discoverer's speech and action. He made
no request of secresy. In fact doubt if he
knew me at all. / certainly did not know
him. And from the look of his worn and
wild face he will probably be fished up out
of the bay before the week is over and
borne to the morgue and buried with the
great army of the unknown that has gath
cred its innumerable soldiers on these far sea-
shores of adventure.
There may be nothing at all in what the
poor man said but there is certainly power
for destruction down in our sewers. And
now where is the man that will or can convert
into I
leave the suggestion to the thinkers of the
world; merely mentioning in conclusion that
the thing seems far more reasonable and feas-
IDLE than did many another discovery and
enterprise that is now source of immense
revenue, as well as blessing to the community,
at the outset n**
Having disposed of this theory and this
theorist, now beg to call your attention TO
the theory of California Columbus which
really did materialize.
The name of A S. Hallidie is new sup
pose TO nearly the entire world. He is a
modest, quiet man, of Scotch stock, think,
aud has lived the best years of his life in San
Francisco. And yet unknown as is his name,
Icount the discovery and work of this Cali
fulmia mechanic of more solid Importance to
the world than the Morse telegraph. Bear
with me while give you brief history of it.
Fifteen years ago this man was descending
one of our steep and stony streets, when he
saw two of the three horses which were
hitched to one of the heavy omnibuseS fall,
under the heavy load and the heavy blows of
their master. The poor horses were beaten
all the more for having fallen down, and
were pushed and dragged by the other horse,
the heavy vehicle and inhuman driver almost
10 the foot of the hill. This shocking sight
was indeed of almost daily occurrence here
then; for Henry Bergh had not yet been
heard from out here, and red headed and red
mouthed monsters in the employ of stage
companies and corporations were very apt to
deal you blow, as well as the horses, if you
dared interfere.
Hallidie-then a young man, and not at
all without position or future. as so many of
our great inventors and discoveries have
been, and are still-then and there resolved to
devote his life to the amelioratiOn of this pitt
ful condition of affairs in our streets.
He did not appeal to or at all interfere with
the bullies who lorded it over the faithful
dumb brutes, but went quietly and determin-
edly to work to undermine and dethrone
them Steadily, patiently, night and day, he
Kept on with his experiments, asking no Ia
'ors Of any one, keeping his own counsel
making his silent voyages on the unknown
seas of thought entirely alone AT last, aIber
the expenditure of two years OF time ana
nearly $780, 0o he stood with his new motor
ON that same street, and, indeed, on that very
same spot where he had seen the two horses
Iall ready for his first public experiment
On Aug l, 1913, a trial trip was made about
"a. m.-the terms in the franchise required |